Chapter 71

According to reason, even if the seven of them came from the same place, they would be dispersed in the Demon Suppression Army and assigned to different regions.

At first, it was indeed arranged this way.

However, it wasn't long before someone noticed that there seemed to be an unusual connection between the seven of them. This was mainly evident in the fact that when the seven of them fought together, they had a默契 akin to telepathy, always able to display much greater strength than when fighting individually.

Therefore, not long after entering the Demon Suppression Army, they were assigned to the same squad, and this cooperative combat relationship continued thereafter.

But unlike their默契 in battle, their relationship was not as friendly as outsiders imagined.

Among the seven, three had a good relationship, while the remaining four operated independently, only maintaining the most basic communication in daily life.

Moreover, Hua Su discovered that they were particularly unfriendly towards him.

He never knew why until the very end.

That time, the demon clan's attack was particularly fierce, and the Demon Suppression Army was retreating step by step, about to be driven out of the river area they were defending.

Hua Jiacun's seven-person position was at the forefront, with countless treasures' light exploding around them, and countless comrades falling by their side.

In the end, the goddess of death finally descended upon them, and one of the seven was enveloped in a shadow, with half of his body directly "cut" off.

At the same time, three others, due to their rash advance, were trapped in the demon clan's encirclement. Hua Su and the remaining three rushed forward desperately, trying to rescue them.

But in the end, these three also fell, sacrificing themselves.

Two of the three were from the group with a good relationship. At this moment, the last remaining person, with bloodshot eyes, desperately wanted to charge into the demon crowd.

Hua Su pulled him back without hesitation, shouting, "The rear is organizing an attack; we need to avoid their sharp edge first!"

The man violently shook off Hua Su's hand, turned to look at him with hatred, and shouted, "Coward! It was the same back then, and it's the same now!"

He swung his spear, his body turning into a silver streak, charging into the enemy ranks, being overwhelmed by the demon clan.

Only then did Hua Su realize that because he had stopped them from rushing out to rescue the villagers back then, they had always resented him, branding him a coward in their hearts.

After that, to be honest, Hua Su didn't remember things very clearly.

He vaguely remembered being filled with shock, anger, and injustice, charging forward again, reaping enemies. The last remaining person silently followed him, fighting alongside him.

In the end, that person also fell, his body covered in blood, but he remained alive, living until the reinforcements arrived, repelling the enemy, and defending the river area.

At that moment, only he was left among the seven. He looked around in a daze, not knowing where he was. Then, he collapsed to the ground like a mountain.

In this battle, he was severely injured, nearly dying. The medical officers of the Wood Division did their best to save his life.

However, his Mind Seed was severely damaged, his primary branches broken, and a large amount of his Mind Power lost.

With such strength, he couldn't stay in the Demon Suppression Army.

At this time, the people of the Qianzhong Army appeared before him, taking him away, carefully nurturing him, and restoring about 60% of his peak strength.

When he had recovered to a large extent, the actual leader of the Qianzhong Army, the heir of the Zhong family, appeared before him, asking whether he wanted to stay in the Qianzhong Army or retire.

He chose the latter.

Unconsciously, Hua Su had stopped talking. He lit another cigarette but didn't smoke it, just watching it slowly burn out.

These memories churned in his mind, the sounds of battle, screams, and roars, as if they were taking him back to the battlefield of those days, reliving the panic and shock of that time.

"Did I do wrong? Am I really a coward?"

He murmured, not realizing that the person standing before him was a boy not yet sixteen.

Hua Su spoke intermittently, and although Jiang Feng didn't hear many details, he roughly understood the sequence of events.

He said decisively, "Of course not! When did the Demon Suppression Army become synonymous with cowards? Those who voluntarily enter there have always been considered brave, haven't they?"

Hua Su, who had entered the Demon Suppression Army at a young age and stayed there for over a decade, had deep feelings for it.

If Jiang Feng had used other ways to comfort him, he might not have listened, but directly praising the Demon Suppression Army immediately struck a chord with Hua Su, and he silently nodded.

Jiang Feng said, "Everyone has different personalities and different ways of acting. Some are passionate and impulsive, not hesitating to sacrifice their lives, which is great. But some are willing to bear the burden of living to do more things, and I think this is a more courageous expression."

He looked directly at Hua Su and asked, "After surviving from Hua Jiacun, did you ever forget your fellow villagers?"

Hua Su shook his head.

Jiang Feng followed up, "After the major exam, did you seek comfort and live a good life?"

Hua Su shook his head again.

Jiang Feng asked, "After entering the Demon Suppression Army, did you slack off and avoid battles?"

Hua Su shook his head once more.

Jiang Feng said, "That's it. I always believe that hatred should not blind us but make us more clear-headed!" He pounded his chest, "Know who the most deserving of hatred is, go and eliminate them, and do your best to protect the people you care about, that's enough!"

His words were firm and resounding.

Hua Su could tell that every word came from his heart, and it was this resonance that made him listen to these words.

"Doing one's best and having no regrets..." he murmured.

The eight words Jiang Feng said at Lihua Creek left a deep impression on him.

Jiang Feng smiled and nodded, "That's right, whether you have regrets or not is not up to others but how you feel in your heart!"

Hua Su raised his head, wiped his face, and smiled. He snorted, "I didn't expect to be lectured by a half-grown kid like you."

Jiang Feng stuck out his tongue, showing a rare bit of liveliness, "Age is not the issue, the capable one is the teacher. To be honest, I didn't expect Teacher Hua to have such a fragile heart!"

Hua Su "slapped" his head, "Since you called me teacher, show some respect! The sun is coming up, hurry up and practice!"

This was clearly a way to change the topic. Jiang Feng clicked his tongue twice and didn't continue.

Hua Su wasn't wrong; the sky was getting lighter, and the concentration of Mind Power in the air was rapidly increasing, making it the right time for morning practice.

Jiang Feng sat down cross-legged, lowering his eyebrows and closing his eyes.

Hua Su glanced at him, then turned his gaze to the tombstones in front of him.

As the sky grew brighter, his expression became more open. He thought to himself, "If we hadn't survived from Hua Jiacun, we wouldn't have been able to kill so many demons, and we wouldn't have been able to avenge our fellow villagers tenfold. Yes, I did nothing wrong!"

He suddenly remembered the last companion who followed him, the youngest among them. This guy was small and thin, usually quiet, often not speaking a word for days.

When his companions died one after another, and he charged into the enemy ranks with a sense of injustice and anger, this companion also silently followed him, fighting alongside him.

In the end, when he fell, he looked directly at Hua Su with bright eyes, showing a very joyful smile, and clearly said, "I'm so happy to have killed so many enemies!"

At that time, Hua Su's consciousness was already blurred, and he didn't think much about these words afterward. But now, recalling them, he suddenly understood his meaning.

He wanted to tell him, "You did nothing wrong! I would rather live and kill more enemies!"

Hua Su walked to the tombstone on the far right and gently wiped away the dust. The name on the black stone was clearly illuminated by the rising sun.

Hua Feng.

It turned out that he had the same name as the young man who had comforted him today.

Hua Su extended his finger and lightly touched the tombstone.

A golden light appeared on Hua Feng's name and quickly spread outward.

It first affected the ancient flint flowers in front of the tombstone, and then the remaining tombstones and stone flowers also lit up.

When Jiang Feng opened his eyes, he saw a breathtaking scene.

All the ancient flint flowers on the steep slope turned golden, enveloped in the rising sunlight, with points of golden light emerging from the petals and floating upward.

For a moment, the steep slope seemed to be filled with countless fireflies, enveloping the slope, the tombstones, and the surrounding forest.

This was the Mind Power that Jiang Feng and others had previously infused into the ancient flint, now released by Hua Su, blending into the air.

Under the influence of the Mind Power, green grass sprouted from the gaps in the ancient flint, growing rapidly and blooming with colorful flowers.

The surrounding trees became greener, and some wild animals and birds were attracted, circling around the slope. The sounds of beasts and birds made the place lively.

In a blink, this black, desolate land became vibrant with life.

Hua Su straightened his body and stretched, smiling, "Let's go!"

Jiang Feng looked around at the wondrous scene and smiled, shaking his head, "Teacher Hua, I never thought you were so romantic!"

"Slap," Hua Su slapped his head again, "Impudent, no respect for elders!"

This slap sounded loud but was very light. Jiang Feng laughed, "Not only romantic, but also thin-skinned!"

The big and small walked down the slope, their voices faintly heard, "By the way, Teacher Hua, why did you initially have such hostility towards Pingluan Mountain?"

"Hmph, because he looks too much like that guy..."

"The guy who called you a coward?"

"...Hmph."

"...Poor Pingluan Mountain..."

Behind them, the black ancient flint flowers, dotted with fresh flowers, no longer looked so cold and desolate.